A/N:
PLEASE READ! I'VE MESSED SOMETHING UP A LITTLE!
Okay, so you know a the start of the story I said that Dib, Zim and Tak were just finishing their first year of High School, well I was okay with that, until one of my reviewers in another fic told me about some differences in the U.S from the U.K. So I looked up the ages for American high schools and first years are like 14! I thought they were like 16 or something! O.o
So I thought that's way too young for these kind of issues like injecting hormones and sexual tension and what not, so I've changed a few little details. So here goes not to get confused.
Instead, Dib, Zim and Tak are finishing their third year, so they're juniors and are about 17 years old. Gaz would now be finishing her second year, making her about 16, but because I've already said before that she's in a different school, she will be. Still in high school just a different one from the rest. I'll be giving hints to this pretty soon as a reminder.
That makes me feel a little better about the sexual tension and stuff like that, 14 is just too young for me to write about in my opinion XD
Everything else is the same, so enjoy and I really hope I haven't confused anyone too much. If there's still a few things I haven't explained, just PM me
-x-
"Okay class, now as you go off and finish your third year, I'd like to give a warming to you all. Take this warning because it's also the last piece of advice I'll ever give you." The sadistic teacher sneered, "Ignore all of the noises you hear about Hi-Skool being the greatest years of you life. It's a lie! Instead, you must get used to the horrors that lay inside… because Hi-Skool will never end… You're all doomed!"
Instantly, music started pumping into the air around them. Tak, disguised in her human form, and Dib exchanged glances of horror as well as intrigue before turning to glare at Zim who just simply leant back in his chair waiting. This was going to be interesting… he thought to himself.
High School Never Ends – Bowling for Soup:
Bitters:
Four years, you think for sure, that's all you've got to endure,
All the stones and sticks from the stuck up chicks,
So superficial so immature.
Then when you graduate, you take a look around and you'll say 'hey wait!
This is the same as where I just came from, I thought it was over!'
Zim (face palms):
Oh that's just great…
Bitters:
The whole doomed world is just as obsessed with who's the best dressed and who's failing next,
Who's doomed in money, who's doomed in honeys, who's kinda doomed and who's just a mess.
(she paused to point at Zim) and you still don't have the right look,
(she changed direction to point at Dib) and you still don't have the right friends.
Nothing changes but the faces the names and the trends,
Hi-Skool never ends.
The bell rang out through the corridors, making the class jump up to their feet. Ms. Bitters slithered into a shadow and escaped out of a crack in the window, making Dib shudder. He waited for Tak as they walked out into the corridor, Zim following behind. All around them the song was still going on in the form of students conversing and gossiping… It was torture!
Torque:
Check out the popular kids! You'll never guess what Jessica did!
Zita:
And how did Letter M loose all that weight?
Jessica:
And Tak has got a hickie so I guess Dibs straight…
Tak:
It's like the only thing that matters, is climbing up that social ladder.
(she turned to shout at the girl who'd spoken about Dib) Still care about your hair and your make-up set?
Doesn't matter, you'll be earth-meat by the time I'm through!
Gretchen:
So Jessica, she's the prom Queen, There's Dib, captain of the space-club! Then Zim, the clown. And Torque, the quarter back.
Dib:
Seen it all before…
Zim:
I want to self destruct!
All:
The whole doomed world is just as obsessed with who's the best dressed and who's failing next,
Who's in the clubs and who's on the drugs,
Who's throwing up before this song ends…
Tak:
And I still don't have the right look…
Dib:
And I don't have normal friends…
Zim:
And you still try to make them think I'm an alien…
All:
Hi-Skool never ends…
The whole doomed world is just as obsessed with who's the best dressed and who's failing next,
Who's doomed in money, who's doomed in honeys, who's kinda doomed and who's just a mess.
Dib:
So we still don't have the right look,
And we still have the same weird friends,
And we're pretty much the same as we were back then…
All:
Hi-Skool never ends! (X3)
Zim:
Here we go again…
The crowd dispersed as everyone flooded out of the skool gates. Tak looked over her shoulder at the girls who had mentioned Dib, now they had moved back onto their regular target. Her. She sighed and made up some excuse about picking up more stuff from her base to bring to his house. He nodded and accepted her peck on the cheek before she vanished. He thought for a moment, thinking that maybe he should help her out. That was, until he saw Zim, taking his time instead of rushing off.
"Hey Zim!" Dib called, "Aren't you meeting Gaz today?"
The alien eyed Dib like an animal searching for danger before he shrugged, "The Dib-sister has her schooling end later today. So Zim shall be meeting when he feels it necessary."
Again with the third person? "So you any closer to fixing the computer? If all it needs is a darn screw like last time…"
"The technology I possess is highly advanced, it shall take more then a screw this time Dib-worm."
"Oh right, like some tape too?" he retorted sarcastically.
Zim narrowed his eyes warningly. Dib just shrugged it off as usual. So they were going t be stuck in song again… well, it had been a few years since anything this big had happened, maybe they could do with a change. Why was Dib even here, Zim thought, Oh, Zim knows, he's trying to make an effort for his siblings sake. Pfft, fool… Wait… should Zim do that too? For the sibling?
"So… Hi-Skool never ends, huh human?"
Dib folded his arms and shook his head, "Don't start that again…"
Zim tilted his head, "And what did that female worm mean? That she guessed you were 'straight'? How can a human be straight in shape? Did she expect you to be curved? Zim doesn't understand."
Dib smacked his palm to his forehead, "It's not about shape Zim, it's… you know what? Look it up online, you're bound to be very enlightened…"
"Ahem…"
The pair turned around to see Jessica, the tall blonde girl who had questioned Dib's sexuality, was standing behind them, looking annoyed and reluctant in their presence. She eyed them as questioningly as they were to her.
"My parents are away this weekend and, like, they've said that I can have an end of year party, but, like, everyone in my grade has to be invited… So, like, that kinda means you two as well." She groaned.
"You're asking us to your house party?" Dib rephrased, more for himself than anyone else.
She shrugged, "Yeah… So, like, be there."
From a distance, Tak was watching this unfold. She had heard that one female just as she was leaving. What had that brain-worm want with her mate? Tak had been too curious to resist. Now, she really wished that she had. A new emotion was bubbling inside her that was reactivating her Invader skills. She wanted to hurt this human female, make her regret talking to Dib, make her wish she had never been released from her smeet-facility or whatever it was that humans did with new young! Yet, she suppressed it. Earth was her home now. Humans were the ones she had to live with, including this one. So instead of carrying out the mission she was plotting in her head, she merely bit hard on her lip and turned away, walking in the opposite direction and out of sight.
"And if Zim does not wish to attend this… Par-tee?" Zim snapped, folding his arms at the human who had once triggered the start of the Keef invasion years ago.
"Then, like, I don't care…" she huffed, "I've just got to invite people, oh and I guess that means that other weirdo is invited too. But it doesn't mean I want certain people to show up."
"Tak is not a weirdo." Dib narrowed his eyes, pointing at the girl threateningly, "And I'm tired of you giving her a hard time."
"So… if she isn't a weirdo, then how did you know I was talking about her?"
With that, she turned on her heel and stormed back to her friends, looking repulsed that she had actually spoken to them. Dib clenched his fists in rage. How dare she! Zim leant away from Dib slightly as the heated anger seemed to radiate from the boy. Zim wasn't sure how to react to this side of Dib, it was a very rare trait that would have come in handy if he used it more often. Normally, Zim would have laughed and poked more fun out of Dib, but this was different. Not that Zim cared for Tak that much, in fact they rarely got along, but he couldn't help but imagine if someone had used that tone to talk about his Gaz. His antenna quirked harshly as the very thought…
"Uh… Dib-worm?"
Dib blinked hard and muttered through gritted teeth, expecting more verbal abuse, "What?"
Zim shrugged nervously, "It seems pointless to dwell on the musings of a human of a lower intelligence than you. Surely the Dib must know that if he thinks the female is wrong, then the Dib must be right."
"What're you getting at Space-boy?"
"You know the real Tak, not them. So understand that they're wrong about her, if you really like her, then you shouldn't care what they say. However, if the Dib really is insulted…"
Zim grinned devilishly as one of the PAK compartments opened and produced a good three inches of the spider legs, poised and sharp. Dib furrowed his brow and gingerly pushed the legs until they were fully hidden again.
"Is this your attempt at comfort, Zim?" he asked sceptically.
Zim looked outraged, "You misunderstand Zim! Zim merely meant, that the female insulted Tak, which is to insult an Irken, which is to insult Zim. Also, to insult Tak is to insult the Dibs choice of a mate, once again insulting Irkens and also," he took a breath, "to insult the Dib is to insult the Dibs family, namely Gaz." He narrowed his eyes, "Which is to receive a sudden end from Zim…"
It took a moment for Dib to register all of this. He adjusted his glasses and rolled his eyes with a sigh. In a strange sense, he figured that Zim was trying to make him feel better… even if it was twisted to sound like it was for his own gain. But it wouldn't be the Zim he knew otherwise. Dib smirked and brushed Zim on the shoulder with his fist.
"Thanks… Space-boy."
Zim looked at his shoulder as if a new head was about to grow before composing himself. He returned the gesture, but a lot harder, making Dib grunt in pain.
"Forget it, Dib-filth."
*In the Membrane Household* (for some reason all of my page breakers have been deleted so I've had to put these in instead…)
Gaz heard the front door slam and a series of footsteps rush across the landing and into Dibs room. She skipped the last half of her skool day because the horrid sounds of her overly happy teacher singing "Sunshine, Lollypops and Rainbows" was just making her as close to vomiting as was possible. She figured that she would have been able to handle it more if she'd been put in the same skool as her brother and Zim, but unfortunately, Mr. Elliot had to move skools and so did the rest of the class. He had figured that it wouldn't be good for the students to loose such a 'reliable and trustworthy friend as a teacher'. Gaz thought otherwise… She hadn't told Zim that she'd skipped because she knew that he'd only end up around hers sooner or later. That's just the way they were, they just knew where the other was going to be…
At first, Gaz thought that it had been Dib rushing to his room, but then she wondered why he'd be alone, for there was only one set of footsteps. Normally Tak was with him or they went our for a bit first. She closed her Game-Slave and pressed her ear against the wall that separated her room from her brothers. This was definitely not her brother. For one thing, her brother didn't sob. When he was upset, he full on yelled and shouted. This was different…
She pushed herself off of her bed and went to the room next door, tapping lightly on the door. Everything fell silent. Gaz took this as a hint to enter, not that she'd ever bothered that much about the privacy of Dibs room before. Inside, she saw an Irken figure laid on its side, facing away from her. Gaz knew that it was Tak instantly. Tak was tall, her antenna was curled and she was also more curvy, not natural for an Irken apparently…
"Tak?" Gaz said hesitantly, "Uh… You alright?"
Tak rolled over and revealed steaming red circles around her violet eyes. Was she crying? Gaz swallowed hard and tilted her head.
"Evidently not." Gaz muttered, grabbing a handful of tissues of a box on the desk and handing them to the alien.
Tak sat up and took them, wincing in pain as she dabbed the burnt marks around her eyes.
"Sorry, "Tak sighed, "this is such embarrassing behaviour for an invader…"
Gaz rolled her eyes, "You're no invader anymore so don't apologise, go right ahead. So… what's up?"
Tak took a long shuddering breath and looked at Gaz directly in the eyes, "Do humans often torment one another for no reason? Or do they detect the defect and swarm on them?"
Gaz was taken back by the question, "Well, sometimes people bully others because of differences, but you do get those who do it just for fun. Why?"
Tak clenched her fists, "It seems that a few humans in class have detected the differences in me."
"You're being bullied?" Gaz looked down, she didn't see that one coming, "That's not the Tak I know, and she'd definitely wouldn't be sitting here taking it."
"That one… Jessica I think her name is, she just gets under my skin. I'm ashamed that I cannot stop them, to stop them would be to go against everything I've done to make a life here. You may look at me like that, but you don't know what it's like."
Gaz scoffed, "Oh really, Jessica, the blonde one right? She tried to make a target out of me once. That's the only reason why moving skool's was okay for me, so I didn't have to put up with her crap."
Tak tilted her head, "But... you're Gaz. You don't get bullied, as you call it."
Gaz smirked, "Exactly, I don't get bullied." Her smile faded, "Doesn't mean people don't try… But remember, I said she only tried once."
As they had been talking, a strange tune echoed around them. The knew what was coming and knew that trying to suppress it would only make things worse. So they went along with it.
Conversations with my 13 Year Old Self – P!nk:
Both:
Conversations with my alien-like self… (X2)
Gaz:
You're angry; I know this, Just want to take them down,
You're confused, I feel this, and you wish you were normal,
Won't tell Dib, or get help, but you can't stand to walk alone,
You're crying, and that's when, I will put my foot down.
Come over here and let me give some advice and help now listen: I promise you that it won't always feel this bad.
There is another thing that I can help you do as well,
You're the girl I used to me, you little heartbroken, alien-like me…
Tak looked at the girl and noticed that she had gone very stiff. Her fists clenches around the bed sheets like she was going to rip them. Was Gaz really telling the truth? So, Tak wasn't alone in this? And why was Gaz offering to help her? Apart from when Dib was around… they never really spoke. Tak sighed…
Tak:
You're helping, but you're hiding, Irk I know that trick too well,
You forget, that I've been there, and now I'm just the shell…
Gaz narrowed her eyes at this statement. She hated weakness more than anything, especially in the form of self-pity. No, she would not stand for this. And she certainly wouldn't allow anyone else to make someone feel like this. It wasn't a protective thing, it was a decency thing. She believed her kind were worthless, feeding off one another, but she wouldn't let them feed off of someone as lost as Tak.
Gaz:
I promise, I'll help you and, everything will work out fine.
Don't you dare, give up yet, oh I know what to do.
The pain you feel is real you're not alone, and it's a nightmare,
But I've got a plan for some revenge,
Tak:
Oh, you've got that look and I like where this will go.
You're the girl I guess is like me, the pissed off, complicated alien-like me…
Gaz smirked at this. Maybe Tak wasn't the high and mighty serious person Gaz had though she was. Now, it seemed like she was more human than ever. More like her really…
Both:
Conversations with my alien-like self... (X2)
Until this plan begins, oh, I wish you well, oh,
I wish you well, alien, until this plan beings, oh,
I wish you well, alien, I wish you well until this plan begins…
You little, alien-like me…
Tak noted Gaz smirking to herself, another give away trait that meant something dark was lurking in her mind. She'd seen it enough times in Irkens to know the signals. She never thought that she'd see it in a human. Especially one related to Dib… Yet, she was intrigued by it.
"So what's this revenge plan?"
Gaz folded her arms, "You say they're making jokes because you're different… I say we go and show them just how different you are. From experience, you gain the isolation you want, through fear. If they fear you, they won't ever mess with you."
The invader inside of Tak grinned, "But why're you helping me?"
For a moment, Gaz didn't say anything, then she shrugged, "I just don't like to see people be belittled by morons."
"You wouldn't have made a bad invader…" Tak muttered.
"From our previous experience with the Massive I'll try not to take that as an insult. So thanks."
Just as Gaz was about to leave the room, Tak felt something jump out of her mouth before she had time to process it. It was a question.
"Are you my sister?"
Gaz froze in mid-step and skilfully turned on her heel without putting her other foot down. She narrowed her eyes warningly.
"What?"
"I was just thinking, me and Dib are very… close now. So because your his sister, does that make you mine too? I'm not aware of the Earth customs with this…"
At this explanation, Gaz relaxed a little and lowered her foot to the ground, "No, it just makes you my brothers girlfriend, or mate. A sister is a female who you have the same parents as. Or in some cases really close friends will call themselves sisters. But in short, no I'm not your sister."
Tak registered this and tilted her head in thought, her antenna quirking. In her head, flashes of the taunting and pointing and name calling echoed around her. In all of these images, she was on her own. Dib could not protect her from everything and this was something she was ashamed of telling him. It was just now she realised that if she didn't have Dib, she didn't really have anyone… Now, here this Dib-sibling was offering help and even admitting that she had once been in the same position…
"C-can you be my sister?" Tak asked, anxious of the answer.
Gaz arched her brow at the strange alien. Once this Irken had been a threat to her and all of Earth, it seemed that time on Earth had made her soft. No, she thought, that's a little harsh. It wasn't making her soft, it was making her human. Gaz wasn't best pleased with this, but it made the alien more relatable. She smirked, not fully, but it was still hinting in the corner of her mouth.
She shrugged, "Sure. Whatever."
*Up in the far reaches of space, upon the Massive*
Many Irken workers were hard at, well, work. Large groups sat at the panels searching for any disruption. Larger groups manned the controls keeping the ship on a good course and the largest group of them all were unloading box upon box of snacks ranging from doughnuts to nachos. As they worked, they were just finishing up a song of their own. They had been following an irresistible techno tune that droned uneasily creating the atmosphere of threat. They'd been following it in a monotone groan for a while… and they meant every word.
Rainbow Factory – Wooden Toaster: (recommended by Anon)
Irken workers:
In the Irken Armada, where the Tallest rule over us,
In the Irken Armada, where Invading's the only goal…
In the Irken Armada, where your fears and horrors come true,
In the Irken Armada, where not a single soul gets thorough…
"Hey, that's just getting old now!" Tallest Red snapped, spraying cookie crumbs everywhere.
"Yeah! And it's depressing too!" Purple added, sulking childishly.
Red narrowed his eyes at the now silent workers, but still hearing the haunting tune in the air. Something wasn't right here. He looked at his partner questioningly.
"Have you noticed that something strange is happening here?"
"Like the doughnuts having this red sweet stuff inside it instead of just the regular ringed kind? Nah I kinda like 'em!"
Red smacked his claw to his head, "NO you idiot, the songs, the music, the workers breaking into singing for no reason! Heck even you were singing at one point!"
"I just didn't want to be left out okay?" he co-Tallest snapped, "But I guess you're right, it's like that musical disease that spread throughout the galaxy a few years back…"
"But that was caused by Zim. And that defect along with Tak escaped. Remember, they went to Earth for previsions and flew off. We spent the last year chasing their decoy ship. Who knows where they are now."
"Why don't we just trace the signal, if it's Zim again, we can trace the signal right to him."
"That's got to be the most stup-…" Red paused and eyed his partner curiously, "Wait, that's actually a good idea!"
Purple smiled smugly, "Well there you go." He turned to the workers at the panels, "You there, trace the signal for the musical waves!"
The Irken workers started jabbing at buttons randomly, a sweat forming on their brows. Please the Tallest, they thought, must please the Tallest! They located the signal for the subconscious musical waves that were infecting them and traced it back to the broadcaster.
"Signal located, coming from Planet Earth, my Tallest!" saluted a short alien in the front.
Red and Purple smirked.
"Zim…" Red scowled, "So he thinks he can trick us by hiding out on the very planet we banished him to? HA! Why don't we go and play them a visit? Show them how an Irken Invader is meant to act?"
Purple tapped his fingertips together, "Sounds perfect."
"You there! Chart a course for Earth, we're giving our little defects a surprise…"
As they began to cackle devilishly, a slow and haunting violin mourned over them. It was a contrast to their tone, but the grim nature was still there. They could feel it bubbling through them.
I Don't Care – Apocalyptica: (recommended by InvaderMakayla)
Red:
We tried to make I through as leaders, in our way… there's them..
We try to make it though O.I.D.2, that's all we do,
But Zim ruined it, But Zim ruined it and Tak did too. Yeah Tak did too.
Purple:
They tried to break us, they tried to break us bit by bit,
That's just part of it…
Both:
If they were dead or still alive, we don't care, we'll get them!
They thought that they'd escaped, they're wrong there, they're wrong there!
Red:
We tried to make them Invaders, always made to stay in line.
Purple:
But the defect comes right through, it's all they do…
Both:
We're getting tired of this mess, meet their end stop being pests…
We're coming for them now, just deal with it!
So! If they were dead or still alive, we don't care, we'll get them!
They thought that they'd escaped, they're wrong there, they're wrong there!
Red:
We'll get their Earth friends too! (X2)
Purple:
They won't be there for them! (X2)
Both:
If they were dead or still alive, we don't care, we'll get them!
They thought that they'd escaped, they're wrong there, they're wrong there!
If they were dead or still alive, we don't care, we'll get them!
They thought that they'd escaped, they're wrong there, they're wrong there!
The End…
The two Tallest leaders grinned as a map onscreen plotted their course to Earth. Along with a battle strategy and a weapons list…
A/N: Yeah I thought it was getting a little too soppy and pally so I thought it was high time to get the plot moving on a little. So the Tallest have discovered Zim and Tak and are on their way, oh no! What's their plan? And what exactly does Gaz have in mind to get those bitches off of Tak's back? And why didn't Dib let Zim slice that girls head off? So many questions and I'm starting to sound annoying now… Yeah… so review! XD
